Valley gun enthusiast turns hobby into business

Some insurance agents pick up a golf club or tennis racket when they want to have fun and work off a little stress.

Aaron Merchant grabs his handgun.

The Ahwatukee Foothills Farmer's Insurance owner-agent only fires at targets, either in the desert outside city limits or at indoor shooting ranges like Caswells in Mesa.

"It's just plain fun," said Merchant, a Chandler father of four who says he put pistols in his kids' hands as soon as they could hold them steady. "It takes skill and practice just like any other sport. It requires a tremendous amount of muscle memory."

In 2008, Merchant turned his hobby into a small business, selling firearms in a small space inside his Ahwatukee insurance agency. A year ago, he had enough business to open a storefront, Merchant Firearms.

Family-focused Ahwatukee might seem like an odd spot for a gun shop. But Merchant said he expects his business to gross $1.5 million this year.

His typical customers are professionals who, like Merchant, enjoy target shooting for stress relief. About 20 percent of his customers are women.

One regular customer is target shooter and Chandler engineer Seth Fischbein, who drops in frequently to relax and talk about guns with Merchant, his staff of three and any customer who might be around.

Fischbein recently dropped by the store to have Merchant place a .44 Magnum revolver for sale. It's easier, and safer, than listing it himself and having to check the background of the buyer, Fischbein said.

His most recent purchase from Merchant is a pistol called the Colt Defender 1911.

"It was developed in 1911 as a standard-issue military sidearm," Fischbein said. "It has a short barrel and a short drop. When you carry it, you are carrying a piece of history for you."

Fischbein carries it only to the shooting range: "Shooting for me is a skill-building sport," he said.

Phoenix requires no special zoning or use permits for gun shops, so some area residents were surprised when Merchant Firearms opened in a strip mall within walking distance of four schools and the city's Ironwood Branch Library.

But Merchant said he has received no complaints. Officials from nearby Horizon Community Learning Center and St. John Bosco Catholic School say they have received no gripes from parents about the gun shop.

The store does not let anyone younger than 18 - the legal age in Arizona for buying a long gun - in the door who is not accompanied by an adult, Merchant said.